The Top 5 Excuses At-Fault Drivers Use
Negligent drivers use some pretty wild, and untruthful, excuses when it comes to explaining away the cause of crashes. Many of these excuses do not hold up in court, or in out-of-court insurance negotiations. Additionally, police investigations often see through these excuses and lies, and the true cause of the crash is noted in the official accident report. Regardless of how bizarre, untrue, or seemingly believable the other driver’s excuse is for causing the collision, you need to work with an experienced personal injury attorney to ensure that the true cause of the crash is determined, and the proper party is held liable.
“The Sun Was in My Eyes”
While this excuse may, in fact, be true, it does not negate the other driver’s negligence. For example, if the sun was in a driver’s eyes who made a left turn across traffic, believing the road was clear, but ended up cutting you off and causing a T-bone collision, they are still at fault. The same is true if a driver hits a cyclist behind, claiming that they “couldn’t see” the cyclists because the sun was in their eyes. A temporary visual impairment caused by nature does not excuse the driver’s actions. Factors that can cause sun glare to be even worse include a cracked windshield or dirty/smudged windshield—both of which drivers are responsible for maintaining.
A Non-Existent Car “Cut Me Off”
Driver A swerves to avoid Driver B and hits Driver C—the victim. While this could very well be true, negligent drivers often fabricate other parties into the scenario that led to the crash. In this case, Driver B never existed. These made-up vehicles are, of course, never seen by any witnesses or drivers other than the one who created the lie.
“The Pedestrian Jumped Out in Front of Me”
It is no secret that American road infrastructure is created with motor vehicles in mind first and pedestrian safety and convenience somewhere outside of the top ten. As such, American car culture has created a hostile environment for anyone not behind the wheel of a car or truck—a culture where drivers feel entitled to the roads and do not believe they have to share the road with pedestrians. In fact, studies have shown that the more expensive the vehicle, the more likely the driver will be aggressive toward pedestrians, according to Streets Blog. Because of this hostile attitude, when drivers hit pedestrians, instead of feeling remorse or admitting their guilt, they often turn to the tried and trusted “pedestrian jumped out in front of me” excuse.
“You Came Out of Nowhere”
While physically impossible, many at-fault drivers claim that the other party “came out of nowhere,” which is similar to the “pedestrian jumped out in front of me” excuse. More likely than a momentary lapse in the laws of the universe, the at-fault driver was probably just not paying attention. A study found that 88 percent of drivers use their cell phones at least once per trip, according to Wired.
“I’m From Out of Town”
While it is true that being from another city or state can be disorienting, particularly if the driver is using a GPS or cell phone to navigate in heavy traffic, being from out of town is not a valid excuse for causing a collision. Moreover, most city and state laws are virtually identical. We all must drive on the right side of the road, stop at stop lights, obey the speed limit, etc. Being from out of town never negates a driver’s distraction, aggressive driving, or speeding.
“The Other Driver Hit Me ”
There are countless ways in which an at-fault driver will attempt to blame someone or something else for causing the crash. The most common is to simply blame the other driver for a vague or made-up reason. No matter how ridiculous the other driver’s fabricated or exaggerated story sounds to you, it is imperative that you work with an experienced attorney to get to the truth.
Call a Naples Traffic Collision Attorney Today for a Free Consultation
Here at The Law Offices of Marc L. Shapiro, P.A. , we have heard all of the excuses, good and bad, by negligent drivers attempting to get out of liability. Our Naples personal injury attorneys hold at-fault drivers fully responsible for their careless or reckless actions and work to ensure that our clients are fully compensated for their pain and suffering, medical expenses, lost wages, property damage, and more. Call us today at 239-500-5000 to schedule a free consultation.
Resources:
usa.streetsblog.org/2020/02/28/study-car-price-is-a-predictor-of-driver-aggression-towards-walkers/
/were-you-injured-in-a-house-fire-accident/
